Although late August is bringing fall vibes, it was only a few weeks ago that summer temperatures were reaching upwards of 90 degrees, with one heat wave after another.
It wasn’t always this way.
I am only 19, and I remember the summers of my childhood being a lot cooler. After some research, I came to discover that this wasn’t just my memory playing tricks on me. In June 2004, the average temperature in Philadelphia was 72.8 degrees. A mere 20 years later, the average June temperature rose to 77.4 degrees. In the course of my lifetime, Philadelphia summers have gotten steamier at a pace that is utterly concerning.
Worried that my community was beginning to feel the effects of climate change, I set out to figure out what elected representatives in Philadelphia City Council have been doing to combat this growing crisis.
I sent a flurry of emails to all of Philadelphia City Council members, expecting prompt responses. My optimism, however, deceived me. It wasn’t long before this project became less about climate change — and more about just getting any elected official to respond, at all.
Here’s what happened …
- In early June, I sent the same, separate email to all 17 members of Philadelphia City Council.
Dear Council Member ____,
Hi. I’m a local college student who really cares about what Philadelphia is doing and can do about climate change and the environment.
What is City Council specifically doing about climate change and environmental issues? Do you have a stance on the matter? Are you planning to be part of any committee, initiative or legislation that will help make Philadelphia cleaner, greener, and a part of the solution for future generations? If so, what are your plans?
I would very much appreciate a response, as I’d like to support any efforts in this regard.
Thank you.
2. Of these 17 elected officials, two had rigged their emails to send immediate auto-replies. Councilmembers Nina Ahmad and Jamie Gauthier’s messages directed me to other team members.
3. A few weeks later, I decided to give my efforts another shot. Maybe a follow-up email would be key to getting responses. I sent this second email, 17 times.
Dear Council Member ____,
Hi. I am a local college student who really cares about what Philadelphia is doing and can do about climate change and the environment. I had previously reached out to you and did not receive a response, so I wanted to follow up.
What is City Council specifically doing about climate change and environmental issues? Do you have a stance on the matter? Are you planning to be part of any committee, initiative or legislation that will help make Philadelphia cleaner, greener, and a part of the solution for future generations? If so, what are your plans?
Please let me know your thoughts.
Thank you.
My second try did the trick for four Councilmembers: Mark Squilla (1st District, Democrat), Mike Driscoll (6th District, Democrat), Nicolas O’Rourke (At-Large, Working Families) and Nina Ahmad (At-Large, Democrat). All answered my questions and pointed me to important resources such as the City’s Climate Action Playbook. And, two months after my first email, a staffer for Rue Landau (At-Large, Democrat), sent an equally thorough reply.
4. In early August, the communications director for Councilmember Rue Landau sent a reply to the first email, including links to a hearing Landau and Councilmember Isaiah Thomas held in March about the City’s carbon neutrality goals, and about other state and local efforts to fight climate change.
5. In a final attempt to hear from the remaining 13 members Council, I decided to give their offices a call — on the phone (which, I hear, previous generations frequently used to communicate). Here’s what I said.
Hi. My name is _____ and I had sent an email to your office multiple weeks ago regarding Council’s efforts in regards to climate change. I have not yet received a response and was wondering why I haven’t heard back. Is it better for me to call with questions regarding the Council’s efforts and policies rather than email?
Here is how those calls went:
- Kendra Brooks, At-Large, Working Families Party
Director of Legislation Glen Forster answered and apologized. He said that Brooks gets so many emails, some of them tend to get lost. Forster asked me to forward my email to him so he could address my concerns with Brooks. I’m still waiting for a response.
- Katherine Gilmore Richardson, At-Large, Democratic Party
No answer.
- Jim Harrity, At-Large, Democratic Party
No answer.
- Isaiah Thomas, At-Large, Democratic Party
The two phone numbers listed on his City Council webpage (which are also the numbers for his chief of staff, communications director and six more staffers) went directly to the voicemail of someone who is not listed as staff on that page. I did not leave a message. Anyway: No answer.
- Kenyatta Johnson, 2nd District, Council President, Democratic Party
Administrative Assistant Michelle Hasson answered. She said that emailing is usually fine and didn’t know why I had not gotten a response after two emails. She also said she would print out the email and show it to someone, and that I should hear back by the beginning of next week. That was a few weeks ago. Still haven’t heard back.
- Jamie Gauthier, 3rd District, Democratic Party
No answer.
- Curtis Jones Jr., 4th District, Democratic Party
No answer.
- Jeffrey Young Jr., 5th District, Democratic Party
No answer.
- Quetcy Lozada, 7th District, Democratic Party
No answer.
- Cindy Bass, 8th District, Democratic Party
An office member picked up and said that no one monitors that email address — literally, Councilmember Bass’s email — and that people usually direct the email to a more specific person. They took my name and phone number, but then claimed to need a more specific question in order to provide a response from the appropriate person in the office. I haven’t heard back.
- Anthony Phillips, 9th District, Democratic Party
No answer.
- Brian O’Neill, 10th District, Republican Party
The person who answered told me District Councilmembers like O’Neill usually prioritize their constituents. I admitted I was not in O’Neill’s district, and the staffer did not provide me with any helpful info.
Result:
Let’s start with the positives. I was happy to know that the Climate Action Playbook exists, along with green initiatives operating outside of Council, such as the Office of Sustainability. But that’s about it.
That said, the very limited response I got from elected officials is incredibly concerning. Not just because I, like the majority of my generation, care deeply about climate change — but also because our officials are supposed to be accountable to the people who put them in office.
To review: Four of the Councilmembers’ offices answered my email on the second try. One answered on the first try, after two months. The remaining 12 failed to answer any email at all. Most of those — nine of 12 — did not have someone in their office who picked up the phone. Three of the four Council staffers I actually reached on the phone and who promised to get back to me … did not.
Maybe I should have door-knocked? Thrown pebbles at their windows?
No wonder so many people my age are disaffected about voting and government in general.
Time Spent:
Five hours over the course of two months.
Takeaway:
Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time. I worry that if little can be done at the local level, there is diminishing hope for large-scale national efforts.
No matter what the issue, elected officials should be responsive to residents’ concerns. The first step (and the bare minimum, in my opinion): Answer your email. Promptly. If you can’t, send an auto reply (like two offices did), and give your constituent a reasonable estimate of when you’ll reply. Also: If your phone rings, answer it. Get back to people you say you’ll get back to.
Anyone else would lose their job over ignoring the people they were supposed to serve. Our leaders should not serve as examples of the Philly Shrug.
Lightning bolt rating out of 5: 
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated Councilmember Rue Landau’s response to the first email sent to her office. Her communications director replied in early August.
